Mormons Leaving the Mormon Church in large numbers

Several articles and TV reports in Utah are confirming that Mormons are leaving the LDS religion in large numbers. Below are some of the links to these stories.

This is very good news and according to full time Mormon missionary Rob Sivulka he has personally received a confirmation from LDS General Authority Marlin Jensen, who is also the Church Historian and Recorder, confirming that Mormons are "leaving in droves."

Rob writes "There are several things to take away from this story: first, this should once and for all put to rest this silly faith-promoting mantra LDS give that their church is the fastest growing church.

Second, this significant news also ought to mobilize the Christian Church to reap the harvest of these disaffected Mormons!

Unfortunately, most of the people who leave Mormonism go into agnosticism or atheism.

The tendency with these people is to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

So, Christians"¦are you ready to give a positive case for your faith as 1 Peter 3:15 commands you to do? We really have a great opportunity here!"

Also, Rob further states "whether you are for or against Romney for president, his run continues to put his faith under the microscope."

Many of us in full time Mormon evangelism have known this for years.

The Internet is a big problem for them.

The hundreds of websites that factually show the many problems with Mormonism, with their history and even with the character of their founders being false teachers and false prophets are and have been making a negative impact on the Mormon religion and causing many to come out of this false religion.

Here at Moriel we support some full time missionaries in Utah.

They report their churches are growing with ex-Mormons.

In addition, while this is good news the bad news is that Mormonism is growing in places like Malaysia and Africa.

Moriel is supporting a missionary that is moving to Malaysia soon and was very influential in teaching me how to reach Mormons.

May the Lord help Tim Oliver and his wife as they transition to Malaysia.

Also, let us continue our support for the full time missionaries in Utah, as they will now be dealing with more and more people turning to the Truth.

Mormons have always had "˜a zeal' for God, but not according to The Truth. Let us keep pushing forward, and be ready for an answer for the Mormons who are searching.

Moriel received the following question:

I was watching a video podcast by Jacob titled the Devils Algebra. I really enjoyed the podcast however I have one question that has arisen from this podcast. I have tried to search the internet and to search the scriptures as much as possible to come to a conclusion. However I am struggling with this one. Can you explain to me please why Jesus did not go down into hell after he died on the cross. I have read so many differing versions as to what actually happened. This question came to me after Jacob , and rightly so, warned people from the teachings of people like Joyce Meyer and the like. As she says that Jesus went down into Hell in our place so we don't have to. This doesn't sit right for me.

Moriel answers:

Lets look at 1 Peter3:18-22, which is a difficult passage and specifically Jesus going to "hell". One of the first things that we do at Moriel with difficult passages is we look at the original languages and see what it says and if it can bring some clarity to the translation. Ã‚Â Also, we look to other supporting verses in the Bible to see if there is help there. So, according to Peter, sometime between His death and His resurrection Jesus made a special proclamation or preached to "the spirits in prison." This raises some questions:Ã‚Â

Since Noah knew about clean and unclean animals (Gen. 7:1-10), this distinction was part of an ancient tradition that antedated the Mosaic Law. Whether a creature was "clean" or "unclean had nothing to do with the animal being "good" or "bad", "strong" or "weak"; it all depended on what God said about the animal that mattered. When He gave us these laws, He probably had the health of His people in mind (Ex. 15:26; Deut. 7:15), yet the main purpose of Kashrut (or the dietary laws) was to instruct the Israelites that they belonged to God and were obligated to keep themselves separated from everything that would defile them. "Be holy, for I am holy" He tells them 8 times in Leviticus.

Nevertheless, the spiritual principle of separation from defilement is applicable for God's people today. We know God must make a difference in every area of our lives.

In his article from his website Mr. Timothy Williams perverts God's Word and His grace. Mr. Williams also attacks the church and every Christian indiscriminately with a broad sword and lots of smoke and mirrors. He tells his readers that one can tell who has the "grace of God" by their obedience to the commandments.

Pat Robertson of The 700 Club fame has once again prophesied wrongly! This time in an interview on CNN, Mr. Robertson reversed himself on a prophecy given in January of 2004. In that prophecy Mr. Robertson declared the Mr. Bush would win re-election "in a walk" and added, " I really believe I'm hearing from the Lord its going to be a blowout." But yesterday he admitted that this prophecy was not the Lord speaking but his own thoughts. Mr. Robertson stated in the interview, "I thought it was gong to be a blowout, but I think its razor thin."

Editors Note: The words of Daniel 11 ring in my ears concerning those that join the covenant people in hypocrisy and then turn on them. It makes me wonder if this in not a preview of the future of the Church.

Below is a compilation of several items that have appeared recently throughout the Internet due to Hank Hanegraaff filing a legal brief on behalf of The Local Church and in opposition to John Weldon and John Ankerberg. The Local Church has long been regarded as a cult by the Christian Research Institute (see our posting of their position paper on The Local Church http://www.moriel.org/articles/discernment/
church_issues/teachings_of_witness_lee.htm ) along with most every apologist that this ministry knows. But now Hank Hanegraaff has actually turned to financially (by paying fees for filing the brief) supporting and legally (filing a friend of the court brief) supporting what most in the Christian apologetic field believe to be a cult (The Local Church) through the American court system. This is indeed a sad day as the legacy of Dr. Walter Martin continues to be dismantled.

With the Grand jurors taking their seats to hear testimony against the Archdiocese of Cincinnati relating to their failure to report the misdeeds of priests, the archdiocese quickly sought an to end their legal problems. On November 20, 2003 the Archbishop Daniel E. Pilaczyk appeared before Common Plea Judge Richard Niehaus. Judge Niehaus asked the Archbishop if he understood what he was pleading no contest to. Looking pale, the archbishop stood before the judge and answered, "Right." With that one word answer the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and its Archbishop have brought the Roman Catholic Church to a status of guilty of breaking the law of Ohio and the United States.

Transubstantiation is derived from the Latin term tansubsubstaniato, meaning ''change of substance''. This term was incorporated into the creed of the Forth Latern Council in A.D. 1215.

Transubstantiation is defined by the Roman Catholic Church's Council of Trent as follows: "By the consecration of the bread and wine, a conversion (or change) is made of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord, and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of His blood; which conversion is, by the holy Catholic Church, suitably and properly called Transubstantiation."

The Catechism of the Council of Trent expands this belief by stating: "In this sacrament are contained not only the true body of Christ, and all the constituents of a true body, such as bones and sinews, but also Christ whole and entire". It also explains, "Christ whole and entire, is contained, not only under either species, but also in each particle of the same species." (Species = bread and wine)

The Watach Mountains were fast disappearing out of the corner of my eye as the plane climbed out of the Salt Lake Valley. The sun was brilliant, blazing and in front of us as we headed east and home. The end of another Moriel Mission Trip to Mormons in Utah was quickly approaching. But the memories are still fresh, wonderful, exciting and at the same time, sad.

I can't believe I have just returned from Utah and the yearly Moriel mission trip to the Mormons. Everything just went so quick and is over way to soon. I want to thank everyone who prayed for us while we were on this trip your prayers were answered in that some Mormons came to a relationship with the True and Living God. The God who sent His Son to die upon the cross and who laid out the heavens all by Himself, the God who knows no other God and is not man and does not change.